What's new since the last build
A guided tutorial
New programs now open with a coach that walks you from your first contract through to your first debrief. Each step points at the button it's talking about rather than describing where to find it, and steps finish themselves when you do the thing — no pressing next to confirm what you just did.
It covers:
- what funds, science and reputation are for
- the three kinds of contract, and taking your first one
- hiring a pilot
- building a rocket: which part to place next, how long to make the tank, fitting instruments, and whether the thing will actually leave the ground
- the flight itself: what the ascent autopilot is doing for you, what to watch on the way up, when to launch, and how a flight comes home and turns into funds and science
You can skip it, step back through it, or start it again at any time from the Escape menu.
Hold-down clamps
Rockets now stand in clamps on the pad and are released at launch, instead of balancing there on their own.
Career vehicles play by career rules
A rocket can only fly with parts your program has actually researched, whichever way it reached the bench — and parts perform the way the catalogue says they do, with no exceptions.